NRHM scam: CBI conducts raids in UP, Gujarat; files new cases

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted search operations at four places across Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat in connection with the National Rural Health Mission scam. It has also filed new cases of alleged irregularities and misappropriation.

The CBI sources said the new cases registered are against unknown employees of Director General of Family Welfare office of Uttar Pradesh and other health officials related to alleged irregularities in the purchase of medicines.

CBI files new cases.

They said searches are being conducted in Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Vapi in Gujarat.

In one of the cases, the CBI has alleged that officials purchased medicines from a Rajasthan-based company allegedly at exorbitant prices using funds allocated under the National Rural Health Mission.

With the new cases, the CBI has now registered a total of 17 cases in connection with alleged swindling of Central funds worth over Rs. 10,000 crore allocated under NRHM to Uttar Pradesh.

On Wednesday, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court had expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation into the multi-crore scam and the murder of two Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in Lucknow.

The investigating agency has named former Family Welfare Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha and Secretary Pradeep Shukla as accused in several of the cases. However, sources said, their names do not figure in the new cases filed by the agency.